Misplaced Pages

Dominick Fernow
Fernow performing live with Consumer Electronics in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Ian Dominick Fernow
Also known as	Prurient Vatican Shadow Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement Christian Cosmos
Origin	Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Genres	Noise electronic power electronics experimental techno industrial ambient dark wave
Occupations	Musician poet multimedia artist
Instruments	Amplifier drums vocals synthesizer
Years active	1998–present
Labels	American Tapes Hanson RRRecords Load Troubleman Unlimited Chrondritic Sound Hospital Productions Kitty Play
Website	hospitalproductions.net

Ian Dominick Fernow is an American experimental musician, poet and multimedia artist. He is best known for extreme music released under the stage name Prurient, as well as numerous other aliases including Vatican Shadow, Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement and Christian Cosmos. His first releases date back to 1998, the same year in which he founded the record label Hospital Productions.

Life

Fernow hails from Wisconsin and his mother is the poet and former Wisconsin Public Radio host Jean Feraca. He recounts his entrance into public school and his exposure to death metal and tape trading as early sources of musical interest. In particular, Fernow cites the death metal band Deicide's album Once upon the Cross as, "frightening ... A huge record for me, still to this day."

Fernow has resided in Providence, New York City, Los Angeles, and Berlin, and runs the labels Hospital Productions and Bed of Nails.

Career

In his early work as Prurient, Fernow worked primarily with a microphone and amplifier, and sometimes drums. He eventually began utilizing more electronics, and currently works primarily with laptop and synthesizers. In the past, he collaborated with artists like John Wiese, Jeff Plummer (of Immaculate:Grotesque and Shallow Waters), Kris Lapke (of Alberich and MCMS), Wolf Eyes, Macronympha, and Philip Best (of Whitehouse and Consumer Electronics).

Fernow has also performed in various bands, such as Football Rabbit, Vegas Martyrs, Taylor Bow, Ash Pool, and formerly as part of Cold Cave. Prurient has released material on numerous independent record labels, such as Hanson Records, RRRecords, Load Records, Troubleman Unlimited, Chrondritic Sound, Kitty Play Records, American Tapes, and his own label Hospital Productions. Fernow has also recorded music under a variety of aliases, including Vatican Shadow, Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement, Exploring Jezebel, River Magic, Winter Soldier, Window Cleaning By Ian, December Magic, and Tortured Hooker.

Prurient has been covered in outlets such as The New Yorker, Pitchfork Media, The Village Voice, and Resident Advisor.

Partial discography

As Prurient

As Vatican Shadow

Studio albums

EPs and singles

Compilations

As Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement

Studio albums

• Papua Land Where Spirits Still Rule (2012)
• Folklore Venom (2013)
• Green Graves (2016)
• Ambient Black Magic (2017)
• Red Ants Genesis (2018)
• Simulated Thunderstorm (2019)
• Flying Fish Ambience (2021)
• Gray Eucalyptus Tranquility (2023)
• Killer Whale Atmospheres (2023)

EPs

• The Plant with Many Faces (2013)
• Black Magic Cannot Cross Water (2013)
• Water Rose Above the Head (2013)
• Venus Flytrap Exotica (2019)
• Panama Canal Left-Hand Path (2019)
• Jellyfish Reproduce Black Magic (2021)
• Saga Of Capsizing Dolphins (2022)

Compilations

• Water Witches (2017)
• Seashell Altars (2021)

As Christian Cosmos

Studio albums

• Enthronement by God as the First-Born of the Dead (2012)

EPs

• Cadence upon the Threshold of Judgement (2012)
• The Sharp Lines That Delineate His Robes (2012)
• Which Echo Again and Again (2012)

As Exploring Jezebel

Studio albums

• On a Business Trip to London (2015)

As a Contributor/Guest Artist

References

1. "Dominick Fernow". Encyclopaedia Metallum.
2. SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. September 2011. pp. 88–. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
3. Weingarten, Christopher. "Generally Inhospitable Hospital". The Village Voice. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
4. Masters, Marc. "Review of "The Tunnel" by Silentist". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
5. Weingarten, Christopher. "Squall in the Family". The Village Voice. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
6. ^ Fernow, Dominick (October 2, 2015). "Musical Imbalance: An Interview with Prurient". Aux.Out (Interview). Interviewed by Andy O'Connor. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
7. Fernow, Dominick (April 18, 2013). "A Guide to Dominick Fernow". Red Bull Music Academy Daily (Interview). Interviewed by Peter Nix. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
8. ^ Ryce, Andrew. "Dominick Fernow: Myth of building bridges". Resident Advisor. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
9. "Prurient starts new label Bed Of Nails". The Wire. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
10. Semtexinc.com Archived October 26, 2006, at the Wayback Machine Dead Link
11. "Boyd Rice Returns to Noise Roots With Cold Cave and Z'ev". self-titled magazine. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
12. Stosuy, Brandon. "Show No Mercy". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
13. Doyle, Patrick. "The Top Ten Records that Recently Sold at Hospital Productions on East 3rd". The Village Voice. Retrieved December 4, 2013.

External links

• Prurient on AllMusic
• Prurient discography on Discogs

• Living people
• American electronic musicians
• American noise musicians
• American industrial musicians
• Musicians from Wisconsin
• Load Records artists
• Dais Records artists
• 1981 births
• Profound Lore Records artists
• Power electronics musicians
• American techno musicians